It's spiritual renewal week here at SBU. Which basically just means they brought in a speaker who spoke Monday morning and evening, Tuesday evening, and Wednesday morning. None of these were required you just went because you wanted to. Our speaker was John Lynch. I don't know much about John Lynch, but i do know this, he understands that the Body of Christ should be a community of grace. A community where you don't have to hide who you are, where you are accepted as you are because we understand that we all have been there, trapped in the darkness of sin. He always brought out the incredible truth that even on our worst days, God loves us. God sees us as we are, all our sin, shame, and filth and yet He still loves us. He's still crazy about us. This morning he shared something he wrote called "The New Testament Gamble." Don't just accept the things he says in this writing, search the scripture and make sure they line up with the other things God has said. . . Regardless, wherever you are be someone people can trust and let God use you to create a community that is filled with grace and acceptance.
The New Testament Gamble by John Lynch
What if I tell My children there is nothing they can do to make Me love them more, and there is nothing
they can do to make Me love them less?
What if I tell them there is nothing they can do to be more righteous? Nothing they can do to be less
righteous?
What if I give them grace? James 4:6
What if I tell them who they are? l Peter 2:9-10
What if I take away any element of fear, condemnation or rejection? Romans 8:15
What if I tell them I love them and will always love them? Romans 8:38-39
What if I tell them I can't love them any more than I do now, and I love them no matter what they've
done as much as I love My only Son? Deuteronomy 7:6-8
What if I tell them there's nothing they can do to make My love go away? Jeremiah 3l:3
What if I told them there are no lists? Psalms l03:11-12
What if I told them they are righteous with My righteousness, right now? Galatians 3:27
What if I told them they could stop beating themselves up? Romans 5:1
What if I told them they could stop being so formal, stiff, and jumpy around Me? Ephesians 2:13
What if I told them I was absolutely crazy about them? Zephaniah 3:17
What if I told them that even if they ran to the ends of the earth and did the most unthinkable, horrible
things and killed ME, even if they were unfaithful in their marriage, that when they come back to Me,
I'd receive them with tears and a party? Psalms 139:7-10; Luke 15:11-12
What if I told them that I don't keep a log of past offenses of how little they pray or of how often
they let Me down or have made promises they don't keep? Isaiah 44:22 and 1 Corinthians. 13:5
What if I told them they don't have to be owned by men's religious traditions? Colossians 2:20-23
What if I told them that I'm their Savior and that they're going to heaven no matter what, it's a done
deal? Ephesians l:9-12
What if I told them they have a new nature and are saints--not saints who should buck up and be better
because of all that God's done for you? 2 Corinthians. 5:17
What if I told them I actually live in them now? That I put My love, power and nature at their disposal?
Ephesians l:13
What if I told them that they didn't have to put on a mask? Psalms 32:5
What if I told them that it was really OK to be exactly who they are at this moment with all of their junk
and not have to pretend about how close we are, or how much they pray or don't? Or how much Bible they read
or don't? Matthew 23:14&37
What if they didn't have to look over their shoulder for fear that if things got too good the other shoe
was about to drop? Romans 8:31
What if they knew I will never, ever, ever use the word "punish" in relation to them?
Romans 8:l
What if they knew that when they mess up I never get back at them? Isaiah 43:25
What if they were convinced that bad circumstances and sufferings are not My way of evening the score
for taking advantage of Me? Jeremiah 32:41
What if they knew the basis of our friendship was not on how little they sin, but on how much they let Me
love them? Isaiah 30:18
What if they had permission to stop trying to impress Me in any way? Titus 3:5
What if I told them they could hurt My heart but I'd never hurt theirs? Hosea 3:1
What if I told them that there was no secret agenda--that there was no trap door? Jeremiah 29:11
What if I told them it wasn't about their self-effort but about allowing Me to live My life through
them? Galatians 5:4; Romans 8:2
Hebrews ll:6: "And without faith it is impossible to please God."
